Toyota Corolla Hybrid revealed

The Toyota Auris (Corolla) Hybrid uses the Prius drivetrain and betters its miserly economy, but is more than $3000 cheaper than the base-model Prius. It will cost the equivalent of about $31,700.

The UK-made Auris Hybrid, which is only available as a hatchback, claims fuel economy as low as 3.82 litres/100km which edges out the Prius at 3.9 l/100km.  Toyota Australia says there are no plans to introduce the new hatch into Australia, partially because of the cost of importing the car from the UK and also because of perceived market demand.

Its spokesman, Mike Breen, says there are no plans in the near term to bring in the hybrid. There was also no plan to reintroduce the Corolla to Australian manufacturing - a move that could have allowed parallel production of a Hybrid Corolla in a similar fashion to the current joint production of the Camry and Hybrid Camry models in Victoria.

The Auris Hybrid, which has a 1.8-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor, is claimed to be more fuel efficient than the Volkswagen Golf 2.0 turbo-diesel which records 4.8 litres/100km. Both cars produce 100kW.

Toyota says the Auris also produces less emissions at 89 grams per kilometre CO2 - compared with the Golf's 126g/km CO2 - and is $3000 cheaper than the Golf.  More important to UK buyers is that the Auris Hybrid will attract zero annual road tax because it emits less than 100g/km CO2.

Company car drivers also get a 10 per cent car tax benefit and qualify for a 100 per cent Corporation Tax write-down in the first year.